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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259952">After Effects</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canicas/pseuds/Canicas'>Canicas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>marble drabble [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Friendship, Other, idk what to tag for friendships, maybe idk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:09:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canicas/pseuds/Canicas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jager makes an unexpected friend</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>marble drabble [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>After Effects</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First of all its a drabble. Second, this was based on R6headcannons from Tumblr. I wish I could do it justice but its 3 am so my brain is mush.<br/>Link: https://r6headcannons.tumblr.com/post/178663332945/3am-insomnia-head-cannons-for-tachanka-and-j%C3%A4ger</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A flare burns down quickly as Jäger uses it to light his path. He holds his torso as he tries to run away from the rooters. He trips, dropping the flare as the rooter jumps on top of him, he couldn't scream for help. The rooter grabs his headgear and throws it away, hissing at Jäger before going for his eyes. </p>
<p>Jäger wakes up at the barracks. He looks around and sees everything is the same as it was before he went to bed. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. His eyes were bloodshot, his facial hair scruffy. He needed a trim but now wasn't the time for it. The german splashed water on his face to get rid of the rush his nightmare gave him. He turned off the sink and looked at himself once more. This time he pulled up his shirt and looked at the stitches Doc gave him after Operation Chimera. He touched his stitches gently, afraid that they might tear open. He stopped looking at himself and left the bathroom. He went back and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. </p>
<p>3:28 am </p>
<p>He was walking towards the department, he planned to tinker with his magpie or maybe with Blitz shield. Anything to get rid of the thought of the rooter.<br/>
Jäger opened the door to the department and rubbed his eyes. The lights were a bit too bright but it was fine. He walked towards an empty workbench and took out an old prototype of a magpie. He took the machine apart at first, removing every little thing. He was lost in his craft thinking of ways he could make it better or possibly even smaller than enemies wouldn’t notice. Then something made a noise. Jäger turned to the sound of footsteps that were getting closer to him. His heart began to race as he tried to search for something to use as a weapon. He held a screwdriver and pointed it towards the thing that was making noise. </p>
<p>Except it wasn't a thing. </p>
<p>It was another operator, Tachanka. The elder Russian looked at the German operator and tilted his head slightly, squinting at him. </p>
<p>“Jäger? What are you doing up so late?” He asks. </p>
<p>“I stayed up working on a project,” Jäger lies putting the screwdriver down, “What are you doing awake?” he asks. </p>
<p>“I was working on my LMG and I came to make sure I put everything away before Mira yells at me again,” Tachanka explains. </p>
<p>The elder man moves out of the way and walks towards another workbench. From the corner of his eye, Tachanka could see Jäger put down his screwdriver and release tension from his shoulders. Tachanka walks towards his workbench and sees that everything is there where he left it. He pulls up a seat and starts to dismantle his weapon. Every night when he couldn't sleep, Tachanka would dismantle his weapon and put it all together, like an abstract puzzle. It either tired him out or kept him up for the next day for training. Tonight was different, this time someone else was awake with him. The Russian felt tense with the silence between the two of them. He worked up the courage to grab Jäger’s attention.</p>
<p>“Doesn't your CTU have training early tomorrow?” he asks. </p>
<p>“I can't sleep so I thought working might get me tired, you know me, always the chatterbox…” he sighs.</p>
<p>“Right, I heard that you talked Kapkan’s ear off about some movie you watched,” the older operator huffed. </p>
<p>“Yeah, it was a documentary that had to do with hunting since I know he likes to go out in his spare time,” Jäger explained. </p>
<p>“Tell me about it,” </p>
<p>“What?” </p>
<p>“Tell me, what you learned, what they said, it might lull us both to bed,” Tachanka told him. </p>
<p>Jäger nodded and began to talk about the documentary, he paid less attention to his magpie and spoke with his hands. Moving them around explaining to Tachanka the best he could. The Russian listened to the other man’s nonstop chatter. He enjoyed having someone else around rather than being alone with his thoughts.</p>
<p>These late-night chats began to be routine for both operators. Working late at night, talking about complete nonsense until someone began to drift to sleep, usually Tachanka but it gave Jäger a sign to get some rest as well. Tonight was a little different, the German Operators went out to celebrate Jäger’s birthday after not having time due to unfortunate events. Tachanka wished him a belated Happy Birthday before they left the base. The elder Russian was invited by his CTU for a smoke outside of the base. Glaz and Fuze held a conversation while Kapkan and Tachanka shared a flame to light up their cigarettes. All was calm through the evening. </p>
<p>“You’ve been staying up longer than usual,” Kapkan told him. </p>
<p>“I've been keeping Jäger company in his sleepless nights,” he replies, “The outbreak has shaken him up more than I thought,” Tachanka answers. </p>
<p>“Has he told you anything about it,” Kapkan asks. </p>
<p>“No, he’s been avoiding the topic, it is better to let him open up when he wants to,” he responds. </p>
<p>Kapkan nods. </p>
<p>“If we continue being this compassionate the others are gonna think we’re soft,” Kapkan jokes. </p>
<p>“We’ve already adopted Lion thanks to Lera, one more wouldn’t hurt.” </p>
<p>***<br/>
“Make a wish,” IQ tells Jäger as he blows out his candles. </p>
<p>The four operators came back from their night out around the witching hour. Jäger didn't mind, during this time he was usually awake with Tachanka. They sat in the common room, at the countertop. </p>
<p>“Congrats you're old,” Bandit joked. </p>
<p>Blitz cut pieces for the four of them. Jäger savored the cake, it was rare to have sweets around the base and he didn't know how long it would last. The other operators yawned, getting up from their seats wanting to go to bed. Jäger stayed at the counter thinking for a minute. IQ noticed that he wasn't following and turned around. </p>
<p>“Something up Marius?” IQ asks. </p>
<p>He shakes his head, “I just have to check up on something, I'll head to bed soon,” Jäger said getting up and placing another piece of cake on his plate and leaving. </p>
<p>IQ looks at the other two German operators and they shrug. </p>
<p>Jäger makes his way to the department, he sees the lights are on and walks in. The place is quiet as usual except for the noise of tools hitting the workbench. He finds Tachanka working on another weapon. He looks up at the other operator. </p>
<p>“I figured you'd come here,” Tachanka told him. </p>
<p>Jäger placed a piece of cake in front of him, “Not sure if you like strawberries,” Jäger mumbled. </p>
<p>Tachanka thanked him as he ate the cake by small pieces, he watched as the German began to fidget. He looked down at his hands and then back at the other operator with a look of despair. </p>
<p>“Can I be honest with you about something,” Jäger asked. </p>
<p>He gave him the okay to speak. </p>
<p>“I've been staying up because of these nightmares I have of when we were working in America for the outbreak,” Jäger began. </p>
<p>Tachanka watched as the operator was looking for the right words to say, was it because of the language barrier that he had to think for a moment of what to say in English, or was it that he was feeling weak about sharing his emotions. </p>
<p>“I keep seeing the rooter in my dreams, or the ones that ambushed us when I crashed down, I just feel so weak thinking that it's gotten me shell shocked,” he confesses. </p>
<p>“There is nothing weak about admitting your emotions,” Tachanka replied, “It takes a strong man to open up about the troubles he deals with.” </p>
<p>“It doesn't feel like I’m strong,” </p>
<p>“No one likes to admit defeat, but sometimes it's the one thing we have to do in order to survive,” Tachanka answers. </p>
<p>Jäger sighs. </p>
<p>“You're not the only one dealing with issues of nightmares, so do the rest of the spetsnaz, and I'm sure one of the men in your CTU has issues with PTSD as well,” Tachanka said as he got up from where he was working.</p>
<p>“Right, Dominic,” </p>
<p>Tachanka beckoned the German to follow him. He left his weapon on the workbench as they walked out of the department. Tachanka shut the lights off and closed the door behind them, making their way to the common room. </p>
<p>“So what now?” Jäger asks, sitting down on the couch. </p>
<p>Tachanka sat across from him, “You continue talking, tell me, what's bothering you?” he says yawning, “Who knows it could put us to sleep,” he says. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>“I'm going to kill that old man when I see him,” Mira complains as she moves Tachanka’s work from the benches to give the rest of the specialist’s space. They were working on a hologram for a new specialist coming to Rainbow. </p>
<p>Mira turns around as she feels someone tap her shoulder, “Elena have you seen Marius?” IQ asks. </p>
<p>“Nope and he's usually the first one here,” she replies. </p>
<p>IQ thanks the woman and walks out of the department, she looks around the other barracks, training room, and training areas but no Jäger. She then hears a whistle and turns around. She sees Kapkan with half of his facepaint on. </p>
<p>“You're looking for Jäger right?” he asks, she nods. </p>
<p>“He’s down in the common room, taking a nap,” he told her. </p>
<p>“That's strange,” </p>
<p>“Tachanka was working late that night so when we went looking for the old man we found Jäger cuddled up with him,” Kapkan explains. </p>
<p>“Thanks,” IQ said, leaving the operator to finish his face paint. </p>
<p>She made it to the common room and found the two sleeping. There were tissues all around the coffee table and Jäger’s eyes were slightly puffy. IQ sighed in relief that she found him and decided to wake him up later.</p>
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